BURNLEY have fired a ‘hands off’ warning over fit-again striker Martin Paterson, after rejecting two offers from Portsmouth.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands former Clarets boss Steve Cotterill is thought to have tabled bids up to £1.5million to land the 24-year-old, who last summer signed a three-year extension at Turf Moor, despite an injury-plagued campaign.

Burnley spent more than £1m on bringing the Northern Ireland international from Scunthorpe United three years ago so would stand to make a profit on their initial outlay.

But further bids would not be welcomed.

Although Paterson also spent much of last season on the treatment table with a troublesome thigh problem, Burnley are determined to keep hold of the hard-working striker, whose 19-goal return was crucial in the club achieving promotion to the Premier League just over two years ago.

In the absence of any transfer activity so far this summer, manager Eddie Howe is viewing Paterson’s return as a new arrival.

“We have players coming back from long-term injuries who will be like new signings for us,” said the Burnley boss, who opted against rushing the striker back into the first team towards the end of last season after he broke down in his New Year comeback.

Paterson’s season in the top flight got off to a disappointing start after suffering a serious knee injury in a Carling Cup defeat at Barnsley in September 2009.

He returned in January and went on to score his first Premier League goal at Aston Villa the following month, albeit in a heavy defeat for the Clarets at Villa Park.

He followed that up by making it two goals in two games in a home defeat to Portsmouth, who were then managed by Avram Grant.

The forward doubled his tally before the season finished, scoring the Clarets’ first goal in a 4-1 win at Hull City - which proved to be their only away success of the campaign - and their third goal in a 4-2 win over Spurs on the final day.

But with record signing Steven Fletcher proving tough to dislodge, Paterson spent much of his time out wide rather than his preferred central striking position.

Manager Howe is looking forward to having a fully-fit Paterson to work with in the forthcoming campaign, and will not welcome the attention from elsewhere, especially after his attacking options have been reduced by Steven Thompson leaving on a free transfer at the end of last season.

Former Scunthorpe striker Paterson made only two appearances following Howe’s appointment in January.

He had missed almost three months beforehand due to a thigh injury, which he suffered a recurrence of away to Doncaster on February 1, and only featured in the reserves towards the end of the season after that.

Former Clarets boss Cotterill is understood to have been an admirer of Paterson for some time.

He was manager of Stoke City when the Tunstall-born striker was serving his apprenticeship at the club.